Buffing wheel



Patented July 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICEY 2,087,693 i f t y.

BUFFI'NG WHEEL stephen W.Li lp15itt,o1eve1and,ohio v Application February 3, 1936,v Serial No. 14 claims. (o1. 51-193) This invention relates broadly to bufiingwheels and more specifically to improvements in the form and construction of the bufiing Wheel sections and an improved fabric therefor.

One of the -objects of the invention isfto' construct a buffing wheel from a knitted fabric, the

textile therein being so knitted as to Aprevent raveling of the peripheraledge thereof and also knitted so that a greaternumber of vfrayed ends of the textile are presented to the work than are presented by the warp and weft threads in the woven fabric heretofore employed in vthe construction of bufnng wheels.

Anothert object ,of the invention is to provide a fabric which is of an open mesh so that the heat generated by the buiiing operation may be readily dissipated. i

Another object of the invention is to provide an open mesh fabric knitted lwith loops or threads transversely disposed in4 relation to the Work for the retention of the abrasive material applied to the face of the wheel during the buffing operation.

Another object of the invention is to form a knitted fabric with radially disposed fibers or strands of'abras'ive material therein, the textile forming the body of the fabric beingso entwined with such fibers as to facilitate the construction of a buing Wheel of 'relatively large diameter capable of 'resisting the centrifugal Aforceiniposed thereon. v

Another object of the invention is to construct a buing wheel from a knitted fabric formed of a textile impregnated with an abrasive and/ or constructed with loops oropenings betweenthe ber of the fabric which may receive and retain an abrasive workedtherein before the material vis formed into a bufn'g' wheel section.

Another object of the inv'entionis to construct a bung wheel section from a fabric knitted to form a continuous spiral with the convolutions thereof disposed in intimate engagement smooth and flat upon each other, the `free ends of the fabric and the body thereof being stitched through and through. to form a solid homogeneous mass. i

Another object vof the, invention is to construct a knitted fabric in which the stitch or loops are so formed as to restrain radial extensibility of the fabric under working conditions of the bufling Wheel.

Other objects more or less ancillary of the foregoing andthe manner 'in which all the various objects are .realized will appear in the following description which; considered in connection with ber of sections employed will obviously vary with'vr Fig, 2 is apdiagrammatic elevatinafl View of i the buffing Wheel illustrating the manner in. which the bufling wheel sections are `constructed and assembled; y

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the bufngwheel sections;`

Fig. 4 is a perspective ,view somewhat diagrammatic of the fabric forming one ofthe buing Wheel sections, the fabric being arranged in distended position to illustrate .the configurationY of the knitted material;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary portion. of the fabric, illustrated in a greatly enlarged scale, and showing the arrangement ofr the-radial strands and interloopedtextiles therein; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the fabric, A' 2 i the section being taken onta the line 6--6 inFig. 5.

Referring rst to Fig. 4, the knittedfabricr comprises a continuousghelicalband preferably` knitted in relatively longstrips Awhich maybe sheared into the buffing wheel sections of the deplane indicated by vsired number of convolutions, as for instance the buiiing Wheel sectionA II `of four convolutions shown herein. The portions of the sections forming the ends thereof are preferably sheared.

radiallyk at contiguous points in .the periphery of the spiral band so that tl'1`ey4r`naybes'evved through and through the fabric by a single stitchf ing operation I2 as vShown inliig. 3. vIn forming the buffing Wheel fabric. the band is knitted to. provide an opening I3 in the center of the-spiral,

such opening being vadapted .for the reception of f the arbor or spindle IIIxof the polishingstand or buffing machine. After sewing' the free ends of the fabricv tothe `body vthereof and `if desiredv sewing the contiguous convolutions through and through, the selvedge is cut from the peripheral edge and the sections thus formed are completed for assembly upon the spindle I`4 in the customary manner as illustratedin Figs. land 2 with the clamping flanges I5 in abutting engagement with the faces of the fabric and the jam nuts IB adjusted" to suitably impinge and retainY thev fabric against rotationupon thespindle I4. The num# the character of the work." For purposeof illu`stration, however, four of suchsections kare shown herein.

The body of the fabric mayl be knitted" from a single strand of yarn or cord or from a plurality thereof progressively looped and interlooped in courses 'along the radius a of the fabric (see Fig. 4), the courses building up progressively to form the body of the fabric IU.` In knitting the fabric certain of the knitting needles adjacent the inner end of the band or as illustrated the center of the body of the fabric are dropped from operation so that the fabric is configured in segments I I united by interlooped seams I8 automatically knitted by the machine to form a continuous homogeneous fabric.

By forming the fabric in the manner above described the textiles are so arranged as topre.- vent raveling thereof `in the peripheral edge of the bufiing wheel sections. vMoreover, as the loops in the circumferential portion of the bufling wheel are worn away' and frayed a greater number of free ends are presented to the -work than the single endsof the warp and weft threads in Woven fabric. In'knitting the body of the `fabric a portion of thev loops are disposed transverse the edge of the fabric, as will be seen Ain Fig. 6. Such loops vconstitute openings or pockets which 'receive the polishing material applied to the surface of the wheel during the buffing operation and also more readily retain the material after the application thereof.

In forming the fabric a secondary' textile I9 as shown in Fig. 3 may be interknitted in the radial positions as shown in Fig. 4. Such fibers may be of an abrasive character, the kquality thereof varying to meet* the service demanded' thereof. If desired awire or a stranded metallic cord may vbeused in section adapted for rough polishing operation while jute, manila, hemp, cottonv or other similar fibers of a less harsh nature may be used insections employed for finishing operations.v The textile I9 is looped back and forth along the radius a progressively through each course in the segments I I and is thus so entwined with the looped fibersjZU in the bodyr of the fabric that danger of separation, .fatigue and the expulsion ofthe textile by centrifugal force is entirelyw eliminated. l

In the construction of ay bufng section wherein the radiallyv disposed fibers I 9 are formed of jute or a material of a similar texture, a light knitted textile 20 is preferably employed so that `the vtransverse support `for the fibersfmay. be readily fatigued during the buiiing operation and thus j release a substantial portion of the ends of the brush-like fibers ing wheel. i y. l

In the construction of a buiiing wheel of the I9 in the periphery of the bufftype preloaded with a cutting compound a textile impregnated with a solution containing an abrasive may be used or, if` desired the fabric may be chargedwith abrasive material, as for instance a crocus paste worked into the ropenings be- I of the wheel but Will also effect substantial econvomy of the operators time.

Although the foregoing description is necessav rily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be element.

2. A bufing Wheel comprising a plurality of sheets of fabric knitted in circular form from a single continuoustextile element interlooped radially and circumferentially and having a radially disposedwire surrounded by said knitted textile element.

3. A rotary buiiing wheel comprising a plurality of layers of knitted fabric, formed of textiles in looped and interlooped engagement, radial cords surrounded by said loops, the textile loops in the peripheral edge of said fabric being cut l and constituting free loose ended strands, vthe inner end of each of said strands being interlooped 'radially' and circumfe'rentially lwith the loops contiguous thereto, whereby tensional f strains applied upon the'free ends of said'strands effects the tightening of said loops and impingement of said radial cords.

4. A bufling Wheel comprising a plurality Vof! f layers of knitted fabric formed fromtextiles interlooped progressively circumferentially and radially throughout the varea ofthe fabric, coarse bristly fibersdisposed radially in said fabric lntermediate said interlooped textiles, said brlstly radialcourses.

6. A buiring wheel section embodying a'plurality of layers of knitted fabric formed from a continuous looped cord, the loops comprising said fabric being interloopedto form a band having transverse courses therein and being knitted with 1 a greater lineal dimension on one marginaledge than upon the opposed edge thereof, whereby said band win fold into heiicai form with said courses disposed radially therein, the loops in said radial courses being interlooped with the loops in the i radial courses adjacent theretoand a secondcord- Y 6o i' courses and interlocked adjacent its-inner ends disposed intermediate the loops' of said radial with the first-named cord.

7. A rotary bufng wheel comprising radial courses of a knitted textile and a plurality of l radially disposed cords'bound thereby, said textile being knitted to form circumferential ribs disposed in staggered relation upon opposed faces of said fabric,.the textile being diagonally crossed betweensaidcords throughout said fabric.

8. A bufling wheel disc of the circumferential cutting edge type, comprising a discv of.k knitted fabric, said fabric being knitted inparallelzcourses disposed radially in said disc..

9.. A circular buflng disc of the edge cutting type comprising a knitted fabric disc constructed'A 10. A circular bufilng wheel disc comprising a` plurality of textiles radially disposed within said disc and divergent from the central portion thereof, a second textile interlooped upon itself and around said first named textiles and entwined upon itselfy in progressive radial loops to for`m the fabric intermediate said first named textiles.

11. A circular disc bufng wheel comprising a plurality of layers of knitted fabric, said fabric being formed from a plurality of textiles, certain of which comprise straight strands disposed radially in said disc, other of said textiles being knitted circumambient said straight strands and entwined together back and forth along the radii of said disc.

12. A circular disc bumng wheel formed of a knitted fabric, the body of said fabric comprising textiles entwined together along the radii of said disc. a

13. A circular disc bufdng wheel formed of a knitted fabric, the body of said fabric comprising textiles entwined together along the radii of said disc, and means for reinforcing saiddisc.

14. A circular disc bulng wheel, comprising a plurality of layers of knitted fabric, said fabric being formed from a plurality of textiles, certain of which comprise straight strands, other of said textiles being entwinedupon itself around and throughout the length'of said strands and entwined upon itself intermediate said strands.

` STEPHEN W. LIPPI'IT. 

